


Family

by Enchantedtalisman



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 21:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9516785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantedtalisman/pseuds/Enchantedtalisman
Summary: Of course Tsunade loves her village (and hates it in equal measure) but she would rather be anywhere else right now.Not at the memorial stone while Shizune places flowers for Dan. No, not where the tears build up behind her eyes and she has to has to stay strong or she’ll break and she won’t break in this village. They’ve already broken her enough as is.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly inspired by Blackkats works (You should totally read their work if you haven't already it's all very lovely), I just really wanted to write more Naruto fic where Naruto's taken in early and treated right, especially since there's not a lot of fic where I see Naruto being taken in by Tsunade.
> 
> I also just really like the idea of Naruto eventually being a medic nin and I can see it happening in the future (that I didn't write and probably won't but it's how I figure the future happens).
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

Tsunade doesn’t want to be here, at all, but Shizune does, and that means that she’s in this awful village again.

Of course Tsunade loves her village (and hates it in equal measure) but she would rather be anywhere else right now.

Not at the memorial stone while Shizune places flowers for Dan. No, not where the tears build up behind her eyes and she has to _has to_ stay strong or she’ll break and she won’t break in this village. They’ve already broken her enough as is.

A loud shout distracts her, on any other occasion she’d be upset but Shizune suddenly perks up for the first time in the past week and Tsunade has to admit some small thanks to whoever it is.

Shizune turns and Tsunade follows her gaze to a boy, possibly five years old, and the familiarity of his face and those pretty blue eyes shakes her.

The Chakra is what sets Tsunade’s heart pounding.

“Kushina?” Tsunade whispers.

Shizune is healing his hands (and Tsunade is a little proud that her apprentice has such fine control), and is nodding to his babbling as if there’s nothing more important then listening to what he’s talking about; “And Sas’ke-tem’ didn’t think I can do it! I showed him, I climb’d all the way up, but then I sorta fell.”

Seconds tick by as Tsunade watches them both. It’s disconcerting to feel this chakra and look at the kid that looks like a younger version of both Kushina (the shape of his face and eyes) and Minato (his eyes and hair color). But those thoughts are for later, when she has some sake in her, instead she crouches down and looks the kid straight in the eyes, which makes him immediately still and tense up (if that isn’t a worrying sign Tsunade doesn’t know what is, kids don’t just _tense up like that_ unless they have a disability or they were abused). “What’s your parents name, kid?”

The blond’s face scrunches up and sniffles, “I don’t have any, the old lady says no one would want me.” Tears start running down his eyes.

 _Oh god_ Tsunade thinks and scoops him into a hug, she’s not good at this—Shizune at twenty two knows how awkward Tsunade is around children who aren’t in a hospital setting, but she hugs him tight and with the mingling of Kushina and Minato’s chakra thrumming under the blond’s skin, and the tainted fox’s chakra underneath. There’s no mistaking who this kid is. “Well, let’s go talk to the old man and see if we can figure out who they are, what’s your name?”

He looks up at her, snot running down his mouth and scrunches his nose, “Old lady calls me demon-brat, but Jiji calls me Naruto.”

Tsunade punches a tree beside them and it explodes into splinters surrounding the trio with wood dust.

“Tsunade-sama.” Shizune grimaces, but her hand is glowing with visible chakra so she’s probably just as angry.

“Alright brat, come along, we’re having a chat with the old man.” Tsunade hikes him a little higher so he doesn’t slip out of her arms, pulls out a scrap of cloth bandages from her pouch and wipes his nose and mouth.

Naruto nods and looks stunned.

Tsunade feels the anger simmer, no one treats her distant nephew this way, and definitely not so badly that he’s stunned by someone cleaning his face.

 

 

The doors slams open and Tsunade doesn’t feel really bad for breaking both hinges off. She would, but then she feels the blond hair against her chin and her fury returns. “Sensei you have a _lot_ of explaining to do.”

“Ah Tsunade-chan--” Sarutobi eyes widen, and a smile starts appearing on his face.

“Don’t you dare start sweet-talking me. What the fuck do you think your doing not taking care of my nephew better?” Tsunade growls.

“Fuck.” Naruto repeats, frowning and scrunching his face.

“Tsunade-sama!” Shizune takes Naruto’s hand and looks intently at him, “Please don’t use that word till your much older, okay?”

Naruto nods, staring again, stunned by Shizune’s kind reprimand. How many times has he been reprimanded with harsh words and vitriol?

Which just makes the anger burn harder under Tsunade’s chest, and she _knows_ she’s leaking killing intent because Anbu masks start appearing from the shadows.

Sarutobi raises a hand and the masks disappear as quickly as they had appeared. “I admit...I have not done right by Naruto.” He looks at the child before sighing and looking a little older—he’s aged in ways that Tsunade just realizes. “Jariaya as his godfather was too valuable as a spymaster. Kakashi was too young to take him, and now after being in _service_ -”

“Hatake in Anbu? He was _fourteen_ , Sensei.” Tsunade rubs a hand over her face. She wonders when the village became such a mess, next they’ll be telling her that Orochimaru left because someone entrapped him. “Why didn’t you take him? You not only have two very devote shinobi as sons but are the _Hokage_ a few rumors about...protecting the village and no one would complain.”

Sarutobi glances around before sighing, “There are factions that are not my own in the village. They would take it as a threat.”

Tsunade grinds her teeth. “Then as his Aunt _I’m taking custody_.” She points a finger, “And you will not get in my way or so help me Sensei.”

Sarutobi’s eyes narrow, “I have already dealt with one insubordinate student, do not push me, Tsunade.”

“Yo’re my family?” Naruto tugs on one of her pigtails.

That _hurts_ for a munchkin Naruto has quite a bit of strength, “Yes, from your mothers side, technically. It’s...complicated.” Tsunade grimaces because explaining the connection between Uzumaki and Senju makes her head hurt.

“Comp-li-ca?” Naruto scrunches his face and then shakes his head, “But family, Jiji you said I don’t have any!” Tears start forming at the edges of his eyes.

“I am sorry Naruto.” Sarutobi says, with a weak smile. “I did not want to hurt you.”

Naruto sniffs and rubs at his eyes.

Tsunade sighs and narrows her eyes at Sarutobi before cleaning Naruto’s face again. She taps his chin. “We’re family now. Okay?”

Naruto looks up at her and nods, sniffing and hugging her tightly.

With a heavy sigh, Sarutobi’s shoulders slump and places his chin against his hands. “I do not think now that you’ve told him this I could stop you. I can only imagine how he would view the village in the future if we separated you now.” He shakes his head, “You three always were the ones who caused the most trouble for me.”

“Like I care when it comes to my family.” Tsunade growls. If it weren’t for the Anbu and the fact that they might try to take Naruto away she’d deck Sarutobi through the wall.

Sarutobi smiles, wistful, “That is the Tsunade I remember.”

A quiet cough from Shizune, she’s hiding a smile, the brat.

Tsunade sighs, and cracks her neck, “So where are the papers? Is the Senju manor still under my name?”

Sarutobi’s eyes widen, “You’ll be staying then?”

Tsunade snorts, hefting Naruto to her other side because he’s starting to get heavy, kids are always heavy, “Yes. Not exactly like you’ll let me leave, and I won’t leave family behind. Even if this village is a cesspool.”

“Cesspool.” Naruto says, he doesn’t seem to fully understand the conversation but it’s probably better that way.

All the bitterness for this village is best saved for Tsunade’s heart only. Naruto at least shouldn’t feel like this village is trash.

Shizune sighs and covers her face, “Your going to teach him all these bad habits that I’ll have to undo.”

“I did alright with you.” Tsunade mutters.

Shuffling papers, and a few weak coughs from Sarutobi (his lungs are weak from all that damn tobacco if Tsunade’s staying here she’s going to have to go find all of it and burn it like she used too) before he pulls out a stack of papers and places them on the desk. “Sign these, and they should trade guardianship to Naruto, technically he’s one of the orphans to the village but...this is better.”

Tsunade grabs a pen from Sarutobi’s desk, and starts skimming it; quick and easy after so many years writing up medical contracts for the hospital, and signs each line that needs a signature. “You should have done better, Sensei. I expected better.” She places the pen down hard enough to make the desk crack and pets Naruto’s head. “You okay with this kiddo? Me and Shizune will take care of you.”

Naruto looks up with those damn blue eyes of Minato’s, they scrunch up and there’s the tears again, “Yes! Yes yes yes...” He goes on and squeezes his arms tight around her neck.

Tsunade hugs him back, and can’t help the warmth in her heart. She fucked up by not being there for Kushina’s kid but dammit if she’s not going to do right by him now. “Shizune, let’s go see how bad off the Manor is.”

“Yes Tsunade-sama.” Shizune rubs her knuckles against Naruto’s cheek (who blushes and looks bewildered at all the affection).

They leave through the still hanging doors;

“Your right Tsunade, I should have done better. I will do better.” Sarutobi says.

Tsunade scuffs and waves a hand, “Bah, you better or I’ll break this god damn tower into pieces.”

“Tsunade!” Shizune whines, “You can’t make threats like that in front of Naruto.”

“God d’mn!” Naruto says.

Tsunade chuckles and rubs her knuckles against Naruto’s head lightly, “We’re gonna be a great family Naruto.”

Naruto grins up at her, bright and happy.


End file.
